College hopefuls from every skill level of Cardozo High School’s vaunted basketball program were showcased to coaches and scouts from universities throughout the country on Friday, October 1.
The seventh annual College Exposure Day, organized by Coach Ron Naclerio, drew representatives from such Division I schools as Virginia Tech, St. John’s, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Drexel, Xavier and Louisville. Naclerio said that, aside from in-game coaching, part of his duties is to give his players every chance to get into any college they choose.
“I feel it is a high school coach’s duty to help all of his players get into college,” he said. “Not all high school players have the ability to play at your level, but all high school players deserve the chance to attend college if they choose.”
Exposure Day consisted of numerous types of drills designed to showcase players’ abilities at many different facets of the game. Sprints, fast breaks, jump shots and three-on-three mini-games were all played out under the watchful eye of Naclerio and his team of coaches.
Naclerio has many connections throughout the college basketball community and utilizes them in order to better his kids’ chances at collegiate life. But it’s not just top-tier, Division I schools that Naclerio invites – plenty of area Division II schools and lower were in attendance as well.
Larry Dantzler, men’s head basketball coach at Queensborough Community College, came to Cardozo because he believes that young students can benefit from spending their first couple of college years at a community college.
“College is a whole new animal to these young men. For a lot of them it’s their first time being truly independent,” said Dantzler. “[At Queensborough] they can get used to the college life. Education is the most important aspect of college – basketball comes after education.”
Dantzler also said that many of the coaches in attendance look for hints at a player’s attitude and character. By observing how a player reacts to a missed shot or a teammate’s mistake, coaches and scouts can judge if a player will fit in with their program.
Another local school’s coach, Kyrk Peponakis from Queens College, echoed those sentiments on character and how important they can be to a player’s ranking.
“You can see some red flags pop up during an exercise such as this, but you really have to sit down with the kid to find out about him,” said Peponakis. “Here, there are hints with how a kid reacts at a bad call – does he curse, does he work well with teammates – these are all things we look at. And of course, they have to be a good student first.”
And that is why Naclerio and Cardozo hosted this event; to give those athletes serious about academics a chance to showcase their basketball prowess and use it to their advantage.
“If one of my players wants to attend college, I will leave no stone unturned in trying to do so,” he said. “That’s why my staff and I have worked so hard for today.”
